Questions for those with funneling cervix

Hi everyone.
I have a questions. Mods if you wouldnt mind linking this to other applicable areas, i would appreciate it.

I was wondering how many of you had funneling cervix, after 20+ weeks and dialated - and were able to carry the babies longer with bed rest. I dialated to 4 cm and the ob told me there was no choice but to deliver even though i was not contacting and my water was in tack on both babies.

 

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I had a shortening, funneling cervix at 16 weeks (0.2cm). I was admitted immediately and had an emergency cerclage the next day. My cervix length went back up to 3.5 but the peri still kept me on bedrest from that point on since mine had shortened so early.

I had weekly cervix length checks. It stayed a good length with the bedrest until I reached about 22 weeks. With contractions I was not feeling, it had shortened back down to 1.2cm and was funneling again. They were picking up the contractions on the monitor and on the U/S. They put me back on anti-contraction meds, sent me home on extremely strict bedrest, and a week later I was still short - about 1cm. I was almost to 24 weeks at that point, so they admitted me for hospital bedrest.

I was on hospital bedrest for 4 weeks, cervix stayed very short but stable. At 28 weeks they released me back to home bedrest, still going in weekly for appointments. After 3 weeks, just shy of 31 weeks, on my way to my appointment I felt regular contractions. Come to find out baby A had PROM'd. I was admitted, given a rescue dose of steroids, and delivered 48 hours later at exactly 31 weeks.

I did have a cerclage, but bedrest is what kept that cerclage holding as long as it did.

 

I am so sorry for your loss

Was ther any other reason your Dr had you deliver?? I had a funneling cervix, it was later in pregnancy apx 30 weeks. They admitted me to the hospital where I was dialated to a 5 for a little over a week before my water broke and they delivered my babies. The peri told me that as long as I didn't show signs of infection I could stay dialated until my water broke.

 

Melissa -

I am so so sorry for the loss of your precious babies . I responded to your post on Expecting and it made me cry thinking of the unthinkable time you are going thru and also the treatment you received at the hospital.

I was checked via u/s at 20 weeks because I was having several BH. My cervix was down to 1.7 with no funneling. I was sent home on strict bedrest and meds. The next week my cervix actually lengthened to 2.7, but when they pushed on it there was some funneling. It held around 2 - 2.5 until 27 weeks and I caught a nasty stomach bug. My OB think the vomiting (sorry TMI) was what caused me to go into labor. When I got to the hospital, I was dilating and baby A's water was bulging. I got everything to keep me from continuing to dilate; mag, terb., etc. But when I reached 9 cm they had to do an emergency c-section to deliver my girls.

I am so sorry that the hospital didn't do more to help you. Had your water broken? I couldn't believe they gave you something to contract to have the babies. I am thinking about you, your DH and all your precious children as you go thru this difficult time together. Please know we are all here for you.

 

The dr found that my cervix was funneling slightly when he applied pressure to my abdomen at around 23 weeks...my cervix was still long and closed (without pressure) at that point. But, they were definitely concerned that it would start to shorten and dilate soon as the babies got heavier, so they put a cerclage in around 23 weeks. I fully believe that if it weren't for the cerclage I would have given birth a lot earlier...I wish I had gotten it sooner, but I'm thankful that the problem was discovered before it was too late. I was put on bed rest immediately after the cerclage. Over the course of the next few weeks my cervix shortened and I contracted A LOT (contractions were affecting my cervix). At 29 weeks I was put in the hospital on bed rest because I was dilated to 4 cm and my cervix was very short. I gave birth at 30.5 weeks after a 1.5 weeks on hospital bed rest. So, basically I had cervical issues from 23 weeks (or at least that's when they were discovered) until 30.5 weeks. I have heard a lot of women say that they remained on bedrest for a long time (longer than me) when they had shortened and dialated cervixes. I think every women is different. I'm actually surprised that your ob would be so discouraging. Please prove him/her wrong!!! All my best.

 

I am so very sorry for your loss.

I was funneling at 21 1/2 weeks and was just under a 1 in length. I was admitted to the hospital immediately for an emergency cerclage. I went back up to almost 2cm and was sent home on very strict bedrest. For the remainder of my pregnancy I stayed just under 2cm. Baby A's water broke at 32 weeks and I had an emergency c-section.

 

Melissa -

I'm so sorry for your loss. Please disregard parts of my PP...I feel like a complete bum because I didn't realize that the decision to deliver had already been made. I didn't read the other posts beforehand. I just didn't want you to think I was being insensitive
Please know that we are all here for you for any support you may need.

Shelby

 

I'm still angry/sad/confused by your story. I responded to your original post, and I'll say again, I'm so sorry. I don't have experience with this, but I can tell you this; I've known women who have been 4cm at 36 weeks and no one breaks their water and says "It's time to deliver". Apparently, women walk around (or lay around for that matter) 4cm dilated all the time. One friend of mine in particular was 4cm dilated and effacing at 36 weeks, and still had to be induced at 41 weeks. She walked around with the pressure of a 6-7 pound baby pressing on her cervix for 5 weeks and never went in to labor.

I know you are looking for answers, but in my mind there is no doubt that steps should have been taken to try and save your babies and prolong your pregnancy.

I hope that you get answers to all your questions as quickly as possible. Keep us posted.

 

My story is a bit different but here goes, I was having a lot of discharge at 26 weeks, I went to the doc thinking maybe I had a yeast infection...no biggie...I got and internal and my waters were bulging, and I was dilated 3cm. They took me to LD and started me on steroids to help the lungs and transfered me to another hospital. I was told there that there was nothing they could do to stop these babies from coming. I was not having any contractions so they did not know what was happening. The next day I got a slight temp because I was getting really mad at everything, that is how my body reacts....at that point they broke my water and within seconds did an ER CS. I have just reviewed my records and my baby never took a breath on her own. She was delivered "limp" and they had to bring her back....she lived for 13 days.

This pregnancy I got a cerclage at 13 weeks, and I am getting P17 shots. We assume I have an IC but usually happens to women between 20-24 weeks so my case is odd.

I am so sorry you are going through this.....I know the pain and it is unbearable.

 

On my 20 week appointment my cervix was funneling and was only 0.5 cm in length, my ob did not give it much hope, and found that putting in a cerclage at that time was to risky. At my 23 week appointment, I was 2 cm dilated, my ob decided right there and then to put in a cerclage, since the risk of leaving it outweighed the risk of putting in a cerclage that late. All went well, and I was able to carry them till 33 weeks, then my water broke. So I had to go in then.
I am sorry to hear that your ob would not do anything for you.

 

I just wanted to let you know how much I've been thinking about you and your family the past several days. I have no answers to your questions, but it just seems hard to believe that everything was done to try and preserve the lives of your precious ones. I am still praying for you, and I really hope you are able to find some answers and peace.

Reyna

 

First let me say im so Sorry for your loss.
I did not know mine was funneling till I went in to labor at 19 weeks was life flighted to the Hospital and started on meds to stop the contractions. Thank god that little hospital i went to got my due date wrong or they would not have stopped the contracts I was told later. I was told that they could not stich my cervix cause baby A (AKA) Mariah was to low in the pelvis that they could break or pop the water if they went in to do that. So from 19 weeks on I was on Hospital bedrest on contraction stopping IV till our angels blessed us at 37 weeks 4 days.

 

Melissa-

I am so incredibly sorry for your loss of your two precious babies.

I find the medical care you recieved absolutely horrendous. I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I only read the parental grief board and when your post was linked there I first thought the care was so substandard that it must have been a faker. When I read the rest of your posts I realized that you were not and that you simply recieved very incompetant care.

My cervix gave out at 18.5 weeks. By ultrasound I had no closed cervical length to measure, the sac appeared to be in the cervical canal, I was funneling (although not externally dilated), and my uterus was irritable. My wonderful perinatalogist did not give me a lot of hope, but sent me up to labor and delivery where I spent the night on a contractions monitor in the trandellenburg position with indocin and 17P to calm the uturus. The next morning, she felt like there was about 2 cm she could grab and my precious baby lifted his head to reveal that his membranes had moved back into the uterus. I was stitched up immediately and after a few days in the hospital sent home on strict bedrest. The stitch was removed at 35 weeks, I immediately dilated to 3 cm and walked around for a week like that before deliving by induction at 36.5 weeks.

I know that I was incredibly blessed to carry as far as I did. My peri did give me the choice of going home and letting nature take its course instead of taking a very aggresive approach...but she never suggested attempting induction.

I read a lot of stories of women whose cervixes give out...some have happy endings, some do not. Different OBs are willing to be more or less agressive with how many antilabor drugs they will give, in what situations they will attempt and emergency cerclage, or whether an interval delivery should be attempted. However, I have NEVER heard of an OB doing anything to ENCOURAGE delivery (like the drug you were given or BREAKING YOUR WATER) unless the water is broken (in which situation some are more or less agressive). I am so appalled that the doctor left to leave you to deliver yourself.

I am so incredibly sorry. I know that there is nothing that I can say to ease the grief of losing your babies. Feel free to stop by the parental grief board and tell us how beautiful your babies were and all about them.

Jane

 

I am so sorry for your loss and the awful experience you went through on top of it all.

My cervix started thinning at 18 wks and I went on bedrest. It was much better after a week so I went back to work but only a couple of half days/wk. At 23wks 4 days, I went into the hospital in labor and completely effaced, dialated to 1 and they held everything off for 13 days with terb and mag and me on my back the entire time. Once I got to 5 cm dialated they did the c-section at 25 wks.

I have a cerclage this time - put in at 13 wks but am still on bedrest for the duration.

I'm so sorry for your loss.
Jen

 

With Jimmy I went in to use the restroom and his sac was bulging. I had to physically push it back in and went to the hospital. 2 emergency cerclages were attempted but neither worked and I delivered Jimmy just over 20 weeks.

I am so sorry for your loss

 

I'm so sorry for you loss and how you were treated. I can't even imagine what you are going through.

Here's my story. I was 23 weeks pg with my twins and I was at a peri appt. They noticed I was contracting every two minutes. They checked me and I was dilated to 1 and 100%effaced. I was rushed up stairs to L&D where they put me on mag and try to stop my contractions. They didn't know if I was in true labor or preterm labor. I did hold out and it was only preterm labor. Two weeks later still in the hospital now on bedrest they checked me via u/s and found I was 2cm dilated, 100%effaced and was funneling. So because of the funneling they would not let me go home and told me I would be here for the remainder of my pg. I was put on mag several times and held out till 34 weeks when my water broke. I know that night I went into the hospital at 23 weeks they didn't know if I would make it through the night and told me there was a chance I could lose them but they would try to do all they could to save them. I can't imagine how you were treated. My friend is a L&D nurse and she walked around 4 cm dilated at 28 weeks even though she wasn't contracting and delivered at 36 weeks. I hope you get some answers.

Elizabeth

 

I am really sorry about what happened. I had a funneling cervix starting at 28 weeks. I was able to keep it from dilating by staying on bed rest and I made it to 37 weeks. I never dilated, just thinned out and funneled.

 

This is my second pregnancy. My son was born at 32 weeks 2 yrs ago. No problems until my 28 wk appointment. This pregnancy they are monitoring me more closely. I am 20 weeks now and have been on 17P injections for 4-5 weeks. At my appointment yesterday the cervical length was okay but I had funneling. Hadn't heard of this before and am looking for information. They sent me to my specialist that afternoon and she said I was not appropriate for a cerclage because there's nothing that proves my cervix is incompitant(sp?) Anyway I feel like I'm left with no choices until I do start to thin out or dilate. It seems like from what I've been able to find that once funneling is detected your likely to deliver early. Any info would greatly be appreciated.
Thanks,
Lesley

 

Lesley,

I sent you a PM...go to the top, where the blue tabs are and you will see the "new pm" tab flashing, click it and you should be able to read my message!